Date: August 8, 1999
Re: CHECK E-News 99-036, creationist speaker in Topeka Tuesday, contact informaiton for State
Board members, science standards
Dear CHECK friends,
Additional information related to the science standard issue that state
board of education is considering:
1) Notice of a meeting Tuesday in Topeka where Creationist Russell Humphreys
will speak
2) Contact information for State Board members
3) My letter to the Lawrence Journal World editor on the issue.
David Barfield
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Creationist speaker invitation
Please consider this brief message as your invitation to attend an
important talk on the subject of true science and Science Standards in
Kansas, followed by Questions and Answers.
When: Tuesday Evening 7:00PM August 10, 1999
Location: Days Inn (formerly Holiday Inn), 914 SE Madison St., Topeka, Ks.
Directions: South side of I70 at Exit 362C (10th Ave)
Agenda:
Talk: "Creation: The Best Foundation for Good Science"
Speaker: D. Russell Humphreys, PhD
Questions and Answers taken by Dr. Humphreys and a panel of others
Biographical Sketch: Dr. Humphreys received the PhD in Physics from
Louisiana State University in 1972. For the next six years he worked in
the High Voltage Laboratory of General Electric Company, designing and
inventing equipment and researching high-voltage phenomena. While there,
he received a U.S. patent and one of Industrial Research Magazine's
IR-100 awards.
Since 1979 he has worked for Sandia National Laboratories in nuclear
physics, geophysics, pulsed-power research and theoretical atomic and
nuclear physics. Since 1985 he has been working with Sandia's Particle
Beam Fusion Project, and was co-inventor of special laser-triggered
"Rimfire" high-voltage switches, now coming into wider use.
The last few years his work has placed a greater emphasis on theoretical
nuclear physics and radiation hydrodynamics in an effort to help produce
the world's first lab-scale thermonuclear fusion. He has published some 20
papers in secular scientific journals as well as many technical papers
on various aspects of creation. Besides gaining another U.S. patent, he
has been given two awards from Sandia, including an Award for Excellence for
contributions to light ion-fusion target theory. Dr. Humphreys is an
adjunct professor of the Institute for Creation Research in San Diego, a
board member of the Creation Research Society and is president of the
Creation Science Fellowship of New Mexico.
Dr. Humphreys was once an atheist/evolutionist. He is now a Christian
and has been convinced by the evidence that Creation is not only true,
but the best foundation for good science.
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PURPOSE OF THE MEETING
During the last few months of the so-called debate over Kansas Science
Standards, there has been an appalling amount of disinformation
disseminated.
The Science Standards proposed by Dr. Abrams and a Citizens Drafting
Committee mentioned creation only once in a glossary, absolutely did not
mandate the teaching of creation, defined science properly, and
recommended a sound strategy for teaching science. One PhD in the
Kansas Educational System commented "If these standards (the CDC/Abrams
proposal) were adapted they would advance the cause of science in the
state more than anything we have ever done."
Yet, the efforts of Dr. Abrams, other conscientious Board members, as
well as those of many good citizens of Kansas and other states to
produce a sound set of science standards for Kansas have been ridiculed by
any
number of people who obviously have never even read a word of them.
Even the so-called "moderate" members of the KSBE have been maligned by many
people as incompetent and even the wrong people to determine how science
should be taught in the schools of Kansas, even though this is obviously
their job.
Along the way, the truth of God's Word (the Bible), the good name of
Jesus Christ, who believed every letter, and every dot, in the Bible,
and taught us to do likewise, and the truth of Christianity in general have
been dragged through the mud, laughed at and spit upon by an assortment
"reporters" and purported scholars in an effort to establish their own
religion as the state religion of Kansas.
The intent of this meeting is NOT to achieve a resolution of the
political issues before the KSBE. Rather the meeting is a modest effort
to enable all interested parties to hear the other side of the story,
and to participate in an open public discussion of important issues. You
are cordially invited to attend.
Yours in Christ,
Tom Willis
Creation Science Association for Mid-America
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Below are the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the
state board members. A
map showing the district boundaries available at:
http://www.ksbe.state.ks.us/commiss/bdmem.html
Here is my general description of the district boundaries in case you don't
know and don't have web access:
1 - WY, LV, and JF counties
2 - eastern Johnson County
3 - western Johnson County and Lawrence
4 - Topeka and NE to Doniphan County and southwest as far as Chase County
5 - western 1/3 of KS
6 - northcentral KS
7 - southcentral KS
8 - Wichita
9 - southeast KS
10 - south and east of Wichita
1999 KANSAS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
DISTRICT 1
Mrs. Janet Waugh
3419 Gibbs Road
Kansas City, KS 66101
Democrat
(913) 262-5370 (home)
(913) 287-4000 (work)
FAX: 913-287-4004
e-mail: JWaugh1052@aol.com
DISTRICT 2
Mrs. Linda Holloway
11919 W. 66 Street
Shawnee, KS 66216
Republican
(913) 268-1455 (home)
FAX: 913-268-1455
e-mail: linhosbe@aol.com
DISTRICT 3
Mr. John W. Bacon
15831 West 136th Street
Olathe, KS 66062
Republican
(913) 829-4213 (home)
FAX: not yet available
e-mail: jwmsbacon@aol.com
DISTRICT 4
Dr. Bill Wagnon
1606 SW Boswell
Topeka, KS 66604
Democrat
(785) 231-1010 ext. 1316 (work)
FAX: 785-235-1707
e-mail: zzwagn@acc.wuacc.edu
DISTRICT 5
Mr. I.B. "Sonny" Rundell
Post Office Box 813
401 Gardner
Republican
Syracuse, KS 67878
(316) 384-7732 (home)
FAX: 316-384-7595
e-mail: ibvrrun@pld.com
DISTRICT 6
Mr. Scott Hill
1209 3300 Avenue
Abilene, KS 67410
Republican
(785) 598-2317 (home)
FAX: 785-598-2492
e-mail: scotth@access-one.com
DISTRICT 7
Mr. Harold L. Voth
104 South Salina
Haven, KS 67543
Republican
(316) 465-3301 (home)
FAX: (316) 465-3608
e-mail: hlv@ourtownusa.net
DISTRICT 8
Mrs. Mary Douglass Brown
130 N. Crestway
Wichita, KS 67208
Republican
(316) 685-6700 (home)
FAX: 316-685-5966
e-mail: qekc86a@prodigy.com
DISTRICT 9
Mrs. Val DeFever
P.O. Box 644
Independence, KS 67301
Republican
(316) 331-3363 (home)
1-800-530-5411 (work)
FAX: (316) 331-5696
e-mail: vdefever@ksbe.st.ks.us
DISTRICT 10
Dr. Steve E. Abrams
Route 2, Box 727
Arkansas City, KS 67005
Republican
(316) 442-7960 (home)
FAX: 316-442-8803
e-mail: sabrams@hit.net
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Finally, here is my letter to the Lawrence Journal World editor on the
issue.
Dear Editor,
The last two days, as have often been the case in recent weeks, the science
standards being considered by the State Board of Education continues to be
the subject of debate. Unfortunately, much of the rhetoric has been
off-target.
For example, Chancellor Hemenway, on behalf of the Regent presidents states
that approval of compromise standards will "set Kansas back a century and
give hard-to-find science teachers no choice but to pursue other career
fields or assignments outside of Kansas." Others say they will impair the
intellectual development of our children and lead to a reduction in ACT
scores in our state. Creationists have been accused of trying to force the
teaching of creation on public school students.
These assertions are all false. This debate is not about whether creation or
evolution will be taught in the public schools. These standards being
developed by the State Board are voluntary. Local school districts will
continue to decide on curriculum and what is taught. Proposed compromise
standards do not mention or encourage the teaching of creation, much less
mandate it.
I encourage interested readers to reject these alarmist statements and to
look at the draft standards and decide for themselves. The previous draft of
the standards are on the state board's web site. Both it and the most recent
draft version are available from the state board.
David and Cathy Barfield
3416 W. 9th Court
Lawrence, KS 66049